Our Specialties: Medicine
About the Department
The Division of Medicine brings together at least 12 different specialties with very wide ranging clinical activities from inpatient care, through diagnostics and procedures to outpatient work. Departments include neurology and neurophysiology, cardiology and primary PCA, care of the elderly and stroke specialty medicine, respiratory medicine, gastroenterology and endoscopy services, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Diabetes, clinical Haematology, Palliative Care, Acute medicine and MAU.
All acute medical activities take place at the St Peter's site where all acute admission take place and all medical junior doctors are based.
Wards for medicine are all based within the main block at St peter's hospital and include Medical MAU, Medical Short Stay (MSSU), Cardiology and Coronary Care (Birch ward), May (Gastro), Holly and Swift (Care of the Elderly), Cedar Ward for acute strokes, Maple (Rheumatology and Endocrinology) and Aspen (Respiratory).
The Core Medical programme
CMT trainees through years 1 and 2 are offered a rotation that provides 4 month medical and specialty experience mapped to the CMT curriculum. The core medical training programme for the 8 CMT trainees will involve 6 specialty attachments:
- Cardiology
- Care of the Elderly
- Rheumatology
- Gastroenterology
- Respiratory
- Palliative Care
- Acute medicine and MAU
- ITU
Over the two-year rotation each trainee will never repeat a specialty twice. The aim is for a trainee to start in the first job with their Educational Supervisor (ES) and continue to have that first consultant continue to be ES over the two year period whilst having different Clinical Supervisors (CS) through the rotations. All our ES and CS have experience and training for their roles and are able to help negotiate through the portfolio and curriculum.
The programme includes weekly teaching sessions, the content of which is mapped to the Medicine Specialty Curriculum which take place on a Friday lunchtime within the PGEC.
Other educational activities include:
Medical Grand Round: This takes place between 13:00 - 14:00 on Thursday and involves clinical case presentation and academic updates. CMT trainees will be expected to participate in this meeting and attend on a regular basis - a free lunch is usually provided.
Regional Teaching for CMT and SpR: These programmes are organised at Deanery level and rotate around clinical centres. For CMT doctors full day sessions occur approximately every two months and are mapped against the CMT curriculum. ASPH host the Regional Study Days on a regular basis and recently held a successful meeting in May 2015. Study leave is agreed for these mandatory day release training events as long as trainees plan well ahead and let medical leave know
Respiratory and Rheumatology radiology meeting take place weekly as do cardiology and Respiratory MDT meetings.
Simulation Opportunities
The Trust has an active simulation department providing simulation training for many clinical scenarios including central lines, ascetic taps, lumbar punctures and chest aspiration.
Other Educational Events/ Opportunities
Trainees have a short attachment at some time through their CMT two years where they spend a discrete period of time covering inpatient medical HDU under the supervision and guidance of ITU anaesthetists who will provide teaching and training in HDU/ITU practice.
Sub-Specialty Opportunities
Within the trust the department of medicine provides opportunities for all trainees to experience specialty outpatient practice (CMT doctors have to attend 20 outpatient clinics per annum (40 over two years
Research Opportunities and Publications
All medical departments provide opportunities for trainees to participate in clinical research projects and for them to undergo Good Clinical Practice (GCP)training for Research methodology online. The preparation of papers for publication is encouraged.
Supervision
Post graduate medical training is directed by the College Tutor, Dr Clarence Chikusu. All Consultants providing educational and clinical supervision to CMT and Higher specialty trainees at the Trust have received either QESP or RCP training for their roles.
As College Tutor, Dr Clarence Chikusu is happy to provide mentoring and careers advice to Core Medical Trainees throughout their stay.
Exam Support
MRCP PACES teaching is provided and co-ordinated through Dr Clarence Chikusu, the College Tutor. In 2014-2015 all three trainees at CMT level who took PACES passed first time.
Medical On Call
During their rotation all trainees have on call commitments that involve on take duties with a medical on call team of one SpR, at least two CMT/F2 doctors and at least three Foundation doctors. A consultant is resident on call for Elderly Care (OPAL), acute medicine (MSSU) and for general medicine between the hours of 08.00 and 20.00 seven days a week and on call for advice from home out of hours.
The rota is co-ordinated through Di Gillings our Medical Leave Administrative Lead who you should get to know early in your attachment at the hospital as she coordinates the basic rota, all leave permission and any swaps that are needed.
Facilities Available
Trainees at the trust in medicine are able to access the library facilities, which include ATHENS password access and retrieval services for paper references for writing articles together with all the facilities of an active PGEC.
Dr Clarence Chikusu | | Introducing the College Tutor
The College Tutor for Medicine is Dr Clarence Chikusu and the Deputy College Tutor is Dr Naiza Rashid.
Dr Chikusu is an Acute & General Physician with particular interest in Acute and Emergency Senior Adult Medicine. He is also the Deputy Divisional Clinical Lead for Transformation and Innovation with an Honorary Senior Lectureship role at St George's Hospital School of Medicine.
He trained at Guy's King's & St Thomas School of Medicine before joining the Regular British Army, having attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst for Officer Training after Medical School. He was in the Regular Army as a Medical Officer for 10 years, and now serves as a Reserve Officer for the British Army.
Other interests are Sports Medicine, History or Medicine, Military Medicine & Academia.
|
Further information about the sub-specialties in Medicine at ASPH can be found at
| 
